Near‐Unity Photothermal CO2 Hydrogenation to Methanol based on a Molecule/Nanocarbon Hybrid Catalyst

Abstract

Solar‐driven CO2‐to‐methanol conversion provides an intriguing route for both solar energy storage and CO2 mitigation. For scalable applications, near‐unity methanol selectivity is highly desirable to reduce the energy and cost endowed by low‐value byproducts and complex separation processes, but so far has not been achieved. Here we demonstrate a molecule/nanocarbon hybrid catalyst composed of carbon nanotube‐supported molecularly dispersed cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc/CNT), which synergistically integrates high photothermal conversion capability for affording an optimal reaction temperature with homogeneous and intrinsically‐efficient active sites, to achieve a catalytic activity of 2.4 mmol gcat‐1 h‐1 and selectivity of ~99% in direct photothermal CO2 hydrogenation to methanol reaction. Both theoretical calculations and operando characterizations consistently confirm that the unique electronic structure of CoPc and appropriate reaction temperature cooperatively enable a thermodynamic favorable reaction pathway for highly selective methanol production. This work represents an important milestone towards the development of advanced photothermal catalysts for scalable and cost‐effective CO2 hydrogenation.